Comcast DTA Adaptor Boxes Not Working For Me - Page 5

At that rate I'd drop them, call them and tell them you want to cancel because their prices are too high and you can get Dish or direct TV with more channels for cheaper. Worse thing that will happen is they will say OK and cancel your service, BUT if you ask for retentions they might offer you a much reduced price and a better package and box for less as well.
I called them last year at Comcast and just said I was a longtime customer and felt I was being over charged and they dropped my cable and TV bill by about 50 a month for 6 months. I need to call and complain again and see if they offer another deal of some sort.

The government forbid them from doing so.

The government is reconsidering their decision: http://www.lightreading.com/document...&site=lr_cable

I would really like to get the full story here. I know you're not happy with the result, and so you're inclined toward presenting a very negative characterization of the government as a result, but I bet that your characterization is way off the mark.

I draw a parallel here to a thread on another forum that I read last week. It was pertaining to HOAs. Someone posted something roughly equivalent to what you posted with regard to your local franchising authority, essentially accusing the HOA board of not listening to the members of the association. It was clear to many of us that had gone through the wringer of trying to serve our community that until you've gotten enough people to trust you enough to elect you to such a position, and you've served -- truly served -- a couple of years, you have no idea what you're talking about in this regard. In the vast majority of situations, the responsible official are sensitive and conscientious. There simply is no way to give people what they want -- what the people are saying is being listened to, but what the people want is infeasible.

This came up in yet-another thread, in yet-another forum, over the past week, specifically with regard to the franchising authority for a Central NJ community. What the complainers didn't factor into their complaints was the possibility that they could run Comcast out of town, only to not find any decent company to operate their cable system. The higher the demands made, the more likely no one will be willing to accept them. And the service providers know that, and utilize that as reasonable and responsible leverage to get franchising authorities to back down from such unfounded expectations.

Actually, it's not way off the mark. Comcast is our only cable provider in a city of 125K, and the city's cable commission just passed the new franchise renewal agreement this week. To receive the local channels in HD, one has to subscribe to Comcast's HD package, otherwise all local "must carry" channels are delivered in SD. Comcast is our only "game in town," other than moving to satellite.

I am not "anti-government," whether local, state, or federal. I am simply voicing facts. Comcast once informed all subscribers who had analog SD televisions with extended basic non-digital packages that all was OK after the digital switch over. Well, I guess Comcast changed their minds, or didn't tell us that there was a time limitation to their statement, as now all of those with non-digital packages MUST upgrade to a STB and Digital Starter package, or lose everything but the basic channels. There's been quite a bit of subscriber reaction to this alone, and yet the cable commission doesn't listen.

Why is a person slammed and hit with a "complainer" moniker when all one is doing is stating the facts? The facts may be painful to some, but they're still the facts. One other thing: our local cable commission is not an elected body - they're all appointed in this city.

In just about every place in the country, Comcast provides local OTA channels in-the-clear. They are required to do so by law, and that regulation prohibits them from reducing the resolution of those channels (but they can compress them). So there seems to be something missing from your stating of facts, perhaps something that you don't know, or perhaps something you prefer not to reveal.

Analog customers were indeed "OK" after the over-the-air digital transition in June 2009. That was the context of the statements that Comcast made, and it was indeed accurate. It is true that, like all such statements made by all companies in all portions of the consumer marketplace, that what was true at that time was true for that time, and in the context it was expressed.

Subsequent to, and wholly unrelated to, the over-the-air digital transition, cable companies nationwide have engaged in analog reclamation, in response to intense competitive pressures from satellite services and fiber-based service providers. Changes to service, both in terms of new services offered in response to customer demand, and sun-setting of old services that no longer are sufficiently profitable, have been introduced with advance notice. There was no need to be surprised in this regard; it was just a matter of reading the notifications provided.

I'm sure there has been a lot of subscriber reaction, both positive and negative. Remember, analog reclamation is being done so that the service providers can offer new services that a lot of customers have been demanding, and quite vigorously. I'm sure you've seen the viciousness posted in response to how slow Comcast has been at introducing these new services, and that slowness has indeed been a reflection of how sensitive Comcast has been (as compared to how insensitive their competitors have been) with regard to analog customers.

The cable commission probably got tired of hearing all the complaints, "They won't give us new HD channels because all the bandwidth devoted to providing that old analog service!" They were probably very happy to hear that Comcast was finally going to effect analog reclamation in your area, to address those complaints they've been inundated with for years.

All franchising authorities, such as your local cable commission, at some point up the line, answer to elected officials, who answer to the people. They are responsible for responding to what the people want.

However, a lot of people want HD over analog.

This forum used to be a great place to ask specifics questions, and receive excellent advice. But, in this case it appears I've stirred up a bee's nest by stating facts concerning our local Comcast system. I assure you I am well versed on the technicalities of DTV.

For the record, I have an MSEE degree, and practiced RF engineering for over 30 years in the defense industry. And, I also a hold what formerly was called a FCC First Class Radiotelephone commercial license, and was a commercial FM broadcast engineer during my college days.

I'm not asking for HD over analog, as I never implied this. Frankly, I could care less about HDTV given how little I watch television any more. What I am saying is this - the local stations are HD OTA of course. Unless one subscribes to a HD package from Comcast, instead of any of their standard digital packages, the local stations are delivered in SD format, not HD. Thus, if you have an HD-capable digital LCD or Plasma flat panel TV, you're only going to receive the locals in SD, unless you subscribe to an HD package. This is a fact. And, therefore, this is the basis for the complaints to the cable commission, along with other subscribers who wish to continue with extended basic cable, e.g. analog, which will soon require an STB, and DTAs for ancillary TVs with the old analog tuners.

It still is. It was the injection of your personal perspectives about "government entities" that sent this thread in a direction that you didn't want it to go.


I don't think anyone suggested that that was what you were asking for.


And what I have already told you is that in just about every place in the country, Comcast provides local OTA channels in-the-clear, and that they are required to do so by law, and that regulation prohibits them from reducing the resolution of those channels (but they can compress them).

In other words, unless there are special circumstances, recognized by a federal waiver, they have to provide, for most OTA stations, HD via clear QAM. They don't have to provide you the equipment you need to use that signal -- you can buy such equipment yourself, and we can point you in the right direction.


If it is the case in your area, either there is an explanation for it that you're not providing us, or it is a mistake. As I've said twice already, it is a violation of the law without a waiver.


And you've gone off track again. Extended basic cable has nothing to do with what we're talking about, the OTA stations.


All of which, for extended basic, is perfectly fine.

Your not dead yet!

There are a couple of technical possibilities that could account for this contradiction.
One: Your TV may only scan up to physical channel 125 and the HD versions of the OTA stations could be in the 126-135 range, like some of mine on Comcast - Peoria, Il. (Make and model of TV?)

Two: You could have splitters, couplers, amplifiers, or devices like VCRs that can't pass the higher frequencies where the signals are likely to be located. (like a VCR with a poor internal antenna switch/modulator that won't pass the signal on to the TV) You need every device in the coax system capable of at least 1000 Mhz. I assume that you know that the DTAs don't pass any RF signals through at all and a direct connection to the TV is needed.

Three: (and this is a stretch) Your local system went all digital, including the so called "Lifeline" or "Basic" package. (2-22) I believe that in these circumstances the cableco can bail out of the agreement to supply the locals in "Analog" until 2012 and they interpreted that that allowed them to drop the OTA Clear QAM HD requirement also.

Four: The channels are present but not identified correctly. On my system, some of the stations are ID'd as 25.1, etc but some only as 130.60.

Five: The channels are located on oddball subchannels that your TV cannot find. The above mentioned 130.60 can be tuned in on my JVC DVD Recorder but not on my PC's HD tuner. (it can't tune past a .50 subchannel)

Six: As "slowbiscuit" mentioned they could have placed the wrong trap on the pole to block the old expanded package, or they forgot to remove the trap when they went all-digital. Traps are not generally needed when they encrypt most everything. That's one of their arguments for encryption - they can eliminate the cost of traps and truck runs when a customer changes service levels.

There could also be a difference between a "must carry" and a "retransmission" agreement that could affect reception. Could a retransmission agreement override the Clear QAM mandate? (I don't know, just asking)

I would suggest that to make sure that it is not a physical problem:
Verify that the TV can scan up to physical channel 135.
Connect the TV directly to the incoming coax feed with a relatively short (25') section of good (RG6) cable and scan again.
Borrow someone else's newer TV or check with others in your area, possibly on the AVS local forum that corresponds with your home town to see what others have found or discovered about your local cable system. On my Comcast Peoria Illinois system the local channels' HD signals are in Clear QAM along with WGN America. They are found on physical channels 113, 114, 118, and 130. (various subchannels)

MY LG 4200a still works just with a Motorola 4 port bidirectional cable amp/splitter rather then using the A/B switch they wanted me to use. I also had to get good quality quad shielded cables so everything has good signal, especially on the longer runs.
If you don't have your own clear QAM tuner then no you wont get any of your locals in HD, but you SHOULD still be able to tune them in analog SD with any cable ready old school tuner. At least on our system the first 32 channels are still on in analog, everything else is digital and encrypted now except for the locals in SD and HD and a few other worthless channels.

I'm glad someone else said it first. I tried, a few times, to be polite about it, and give benefit of doubt, but it is becoming increasingly clear...


Indeed. I'm not sure what else we can do to prompt someone to help themselves.

You're not stating facts, though. You're just making a statement on the Internet with no evidence.

If you're going to make the analogy of Obama and the birthers, you need to show us the birth certificate.


You may not be an attorney, but there is likely one out there that would be interested in your case. If indeed your locals are only in SD.

can anybody help me?

A "code", as such, from Comcast isn't going to be much help.
You would need the commands in a form that Slingbox can use.
If Comcast provided the codes to Slingbox then they could add it to the next software upgrade.

The Slingbox does allow you to add your own codes.
Have you checked the JP1 forum?
http://www.hifi-remote.com/forums/index.php

You may have to learn some new tools.

I could not find anything relevent in JP1

Did you read this thread?
http://www.hifi-remote.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=5586

Here is a .bin file for the DTA 100
http://www.hifi-remote.com/forums/dl...e&file_id=8381

I've been going through the hassle of trying to get the Comcast DTA to work. Some where in this site I came across some info about using RG6 cable. I just didn't want to deal with tearing up drywall to change the cable I installed twenty years ago (I was in denial). So I tried the easy stuff hoping for a miracle before I realized it was time to cut walls open. The RG6 cable fixed my problem. Now I have a bunch of drywall holes to fix.

TIP: don't use wire anchors - I could have pulled the new cable attached to old cable if I didn't use wire anchors and saved myself a lot of drywall dust.

Hey Zerk, I'm near you, but was in Australia for two months. I get back to the shop 2 wks ago w/ 2 newer Samsungs just two winters ago, and have no cable access to view now.

I was under the impression I'd have digital access direct to the sets when the change came.
Question now is, Will any newer Tv's get by this box.

So now, with the new Comcast boxes that I'm still waiting on, is making the Samsung remotes worthless for fav's saved, etc.
If this is the case, I'm pulling the plug for satellite instead, if that's a working alternative not tried yet.

Then effects the way I play with the Rxv1900, and was just getting it
somewhat under control, being I'm not at the shop 24/7.

I will read all that I missed prior to posting for steaming content later in email to myself.
A bit much to sort out in one sitting.
Later..

Back at ya Philscbx. Sorting though my cable problems has caused me to compare cable and satellite HD service (my secondary TV has the DTA box) and satellite has all the channels in HD I want at a lower monthly fee. You still need to have RG6 cable for any option. They should make TVs just monitors because cable/satellite boxes are in control. I have added an antenna to watch HD sports over the air since the Comcast signal doesn't seem to be as good. BTW I got a URC MX-500 remote for all my needs.

I just recently had to switch to the Comcast DTA. Up until then I had managed to have cable without any set top boxes of any kind (was getting channels 2-64). I liked it just fine that way. Now with the DTA, I get the same channels I had before plus a few more scattered above 64. Since I got this DTA, dislikes far outweigh any positives. I don't like the response of the Comcast DTA, it's terrible. Before, changing channels with the TV remote used to be instantaneous. Now it takes a second or two for the channels to change after each press. Annoying to say the least. I have 5 TVs and all 5 DTAs do this now. I also don't like that now channels can't be deleted as there is no menu to be able to do that like there is for a TV remote. Now channel checking, you to cycle through every damn one. Also sucks is my pc with the tv tuner. I can no longer use my keyboard in windows media center to change channels as the tv tuner now has to be set to channel 3, with the Comcast DTA doing the channel changing. As far as I'm concerned, this whole thing has been a step backwards for me, not forward.

Yes, that's really the way it should always have been. Tuners change over time, and it is really a critical component, so being able to replace it (or swap it out for one that tunes in service from some different source) is a super option.


Generally, viewers who just use DTAs are not the consumers who are driving companies to deploy DTAs. DTAs fill a gap created by adding new services to satisfy more lucrative customers. The customer who prefer to pay less are indeed going to have a less positive experience.

When I got the DTAs, the guy told me that pretty soon these same DTAs will have some limited HD channels thrown in for free. Dunno what the hell that actually mean though.

If that were true, they would be outputted as letterboxed SD, so little would be gained. The tech. is probably confusing the fact that Comcast is working on getting an FCC waiver for an HD DTA, that would look quite similar to the current SD DTA, thinking the current ones could do HD. Don't believe everything the techs. tell you.

I am necroposting here some of my experience to help others in their search for information on dealing with digital cable.

My only real complaint with the whole digital thing is the stupidity of having to have more equipment and remotes just to watch tv now. And having to pay for more crap that I will never watch. It would be nice to only pay for the channels that I actually watch which is around 10 percent of what I have to receive and pay for just to get what I want to watch. With the technology that is in use now, it would cost the companies no more or less to implement a "pay for only the channels you want" program.

[hr]

I had perfect cable with the analog, no problems with it for over 25 years that I had been on cable. Did not ever need to have them come in to fix anything except when the drop from the street was taken down by a tree or branch during a windstorm.

The claim of moving to digital is to give you more channels. That's all I need is more crap not to watch but have to pay for anyways. It's all just a bogus way of companies to screw customers out of more money because, we the customer, cannot do anything about it. And before someone says use your antenna, that is rather impossible as there are very few channels over the air, and most of those we get are either stupid shopping channels or are in a foreign language, so over the air is out. Satellite is also no better than cable.

On to the good bit. At least Costcast did help a little when I had problems with the digital boxes and with the internet modem. I too was having problems with getting the boxes to activate and the tech installed their amp/splitter combo and we got the internet modem and digital boxes to activate.

Although I still have problems, mainly with the internet being slow, it does work, and the digital tv would loose channels in the summer when it got warm out. Replacing all the interior cabling with new cable designed for digital and with quad shielding helped a lot. Additionally, I replaced my old splitters. The store bought ones, even though they were for digital, did not work and the tech gave me costcast issued splitters and they were the key. If you do your own cable runs in your house, get the ones costcast uses.

Although everything does work ok, it's not good and the next thing to do is to have them replace the 25+ year old cable drop from the street to the house with new, unspliced cable. Others that are in the know told me that for the digital to work properly, you need to have good cable that has no splices in it from the street to the house.

"Be careful what you ask for" is the advice found in this New York Times article concerning a la carte cable pricing:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/24/bu.../24nocera.html

It's not the technology that is in the way, it's that a la carte pricing will not lower prices. In fact, it'll probably raise them, simply by how the numbers work out. And no, it's not a numbers game the cable companies play, it's the reality of how the tiers even out viewership. The NYTimes article explains it pretty well.

Im completely annoyed with my Comcast service. Im paying over $100 a month for a service that has terrible customer service that you cannot understand and boxes that renders my current setup useless. Another thing i hate about these DTA boxes is that i can no longer block any channels from my family. This whole setup is a joke and an outrite way to get more money out of me forcing me to buy another higher end box that will provide me these features.

Well there are a few cable card equipped options that will work with Comcast coming out now or very soon that may work for some of us if we have the budget to buy the new gear in the first place.
Ceton makes a 4 tuner model for 450 or so and HDHomern Prime is a standalone setop box that will work with media center and networks so you can share with all the PC's in your house for 250 available for pre order at New Egg right now.
I'm seriously considering the homerun as It'd be nice to not have to tie another PC up with a tuner card then try to get a cable card installed and activated or have issues if I want to put it in another PC later.
Comcast last summer finally offered me phone and HD service with a free good motorola box for less then I was paying for phone, the net, and extended basic non HD service. I get more channels now, most in HD, can do on demand in HD, many for free, and have better phone for less then I was paying for less service before, about 50 a month less and I get more goodies including free long distance in North America. I'm finally somewhat happy camper now though I still hate their forcing me to either tune through EVERY channel or setup a favorites list which isn't the same as deleting unwanted channels. I don't like their channels guide with it's commercials on every page and still not being able to easily setup a recording that actually gets to my DVD recorder.
BUT saving money and getting more stuff is OK by me and I'll probably still get the other box once they get a bit cheaper and maybe drop the HD box or at least put it on another set in the house.